


Masks

by NancyBrown



Category: DC Animated Universe
Genre: Costumes, Gen, Halloween, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 13:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12233373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NancyBrown/pseuds/NancyBrown
Summary: It's Halloween and the Justice League is out on patrol, but it is hard to find their enemies when everyone is in disguise.





	Masks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiraMira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraMira/gifts).



> Set somewhere around "Flash and Substance"

There was no equivalent to Halloween on Thanagar. People who wore masks every day of their adult lives had no use for dress-up pretend in other masks. Strict laws and stricter tradition dictated who could wear which face covering and when, and breaking either brought swift penalties. Only young children and prostitutes walked bare-faced, a duality she'd never considered strange back home. Feeling the rush of air on her face as she flew now often brought back that memory, and a learned shame Shayera was slowly learning to let go of.

She couldn't express to anyone how she felt on this one night of the year when she could don a new mask and cover her face. She had a suspicion Batman might understand, but Batman rarely spoke to her these days.

With a limited set of options, Shayera had chosen an owl mask with glittery white feathers and green sequins set around the eyes. She bought more glitter to cover her wings, making them appear like a false affectation for the evening. On a whim, she'd picked a white dress to finish the costume, complete with more sequins, and a few white and grey feathers for good measure. In her small mirror, she couldn't get a good look at herself but she thought she could walk among humans tonight and not be noticed. Just another human in a costume on the worst night of the year to figure out who the costumed creeps were and what they were up to. The word on the street was that Intergang was planning something big tonight in multiple cities. The entire Justice League was on alert and would be patrolling.

It beat taking another shift on the Watchtower.

She lined up with the rest in front of what Wally insisted on calling the transporter no matter how many times Batman growled at him. There were a few more friendly smiles sent her way than in days past, and she returned them with an awkward hesitation. Mari saw her and tilted her head, gesturing her over. Shayera joined her as they waited for each group to go.

"What beat did you get?" Mari asked. She wore some medieval costume, rich with ruffles and velvet, and draped skirts, and she carried herself like a queen. Her mask shimmered with gems, which might be real for all Shayera knew.

"Metropolis. You?"

"Central City." She glanced down at her fine gown and sighed. "Flash says the parties there are great, but I was hoping for something a little more elegant. I'm overdressed."

"You'll be fine. You look stunning. The bad guys will be too busy trying to bow and you can smack them over the head while they're kneeling. Easy night."

"True. You look great yourself, but speaking of whacking bad guys over the head..." She made a motion that Shayera took a moment to understand was her mimicking a mace swing.

"It didn't go with my outfit," she said with a smirk. "I'm in the mood to punch someone tonight."

"Then I'm glad I'm going to Central City," Mari replied with a wink. They had settled into this joking pattern, and yes, Shayera knew they still had that undercurrent of something less friendly. The mutual teasing helped.

Mr. Terrific called the Central City group next. Mari stepped aboard the pad with Vibe, Stargirl, and Zatanna. They vanished in a bright flash of light.

"Metropolis," said Mr. Terrific. Shayera took a breath and stepped up, waiting for the beam.

***

  


The city streets were already in full party mode, and it was still early, the sun shining lazily through the buildings as the afternoon dipped towards sunset. Pretty, for someone who was into that sort of thing. 

Shayera made her way through the crowds making their way home from work or out for the evening. Some of the people passing her were in costume, and more than a few were already inebriated. Lucky jerks. The League had a "no bars while on duty unless you're stopping a fight" rule. Shayera liked starting those fights, which meant it was probably a good rule for her to follow. No one gave her more than an appreciative glance in passing. They saw a pretty woman in costume, not the alien who'd spied on their planet, leading to their occupation and enslavement. Not everyone had forgiven her, nor did she expect them to. She did expect someday that someone with a grudge would come after her, and maybe she'd win that fight, and maybe she wouldn't.

Tonight she was invisible, which meant she could patrol in peace, keeping her eyes peeled for the big gangsters or the smaller crimes that never took a breather. Shayera stopped a would-be purse-snatcher and a pickpocket before the sun was down.

"Checking in," she said into her comm as the church bells chimed the hour. "No sign on 7th Avenue." Voices came into her ear repeating locations and lack of any big-time criminal movement. She was certain her colleagues were busy stopping the minor crimes just as she was. Justice in big and small places. That was their job.

She wandered down another street, watching and listening. The day had been warm and the night promised fair weather for trick or treating and playing tricks. Maybe Intergang would strike a different city. Maybe they'd rescheduled and decided to go egg Batman's house tonight instead. 

"Hi," said a familiar voice behind her.

Shayera turned to see Superman dressed as a pirate. The costume didn't fit right, but the sheer silliness of seeing him in the three-sided hat and the eyepatch warmed her heart.

"Hi. I thought you were patrolling uptown."

"I was. I decided to keep you company." He fell into step beside her. She kept up her lookout, but strolled more slowly. She wasn't a party girl looking for a good time now. She was out for the night with a handsome pirate who also could leap tall buildings in a single bound and who had a sort-of girlfriend who'd been kind enough to interview Shayera during her first days back with the League and let her speak. A friend.

"I haven't seen anything. A few disorderly guys missing their costume party tonight, but no real costumes."

He nodded, getting the code. "I had a tip they might be trying something here."

She tensed. "From who? Should we call in the rest?" Her hand was halfway to her ear when he took her wrist with an iron grip.

"Not yet. You and I can handle them." He held her arm for a moment longer, then let go.

"Sure," she said, wanting to rub her wrist and forcing herself not to do so. She kept walking. "Should I call you Clark or do you want to use a different name?"

He hesitated, then took a large step to walk beside her again. "That's fine," he said, voice more strained than she would have expected.

Okay. Superman was acting weird. She tried a different tactic. "You know, I half-expected you to be running around ringing doorbells tonight asking for candy."

"Well, I am partial to a Koala Bar now and then," he said with a smile.

"I'll remember that."

They reached a corner, and Superman pointed. "That way." Shayera saw nothing more interesting in that direction than in the one they were walking.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if we were flying."

"Save it. We'll be in action soon enough." He gestured towards a narrow alley. "Come on."

Shayera followed, turning her head in every direction. "Is this the back of a bank I don't know about? Why would Intergang be here?"

"We're tracking a different criminal tonight."

She sighed, but this was Superman's home town. "Anyone I know?"

With a vicious turn, he slammed her against the wall. "As a matter of fact, yes."

Shock took her reflexes for a moment. Shayera lashed out with a fist, which he caught easily. "Who are you?" she demanded, ribs aching from the impact into the wall, arm sore with a pain which told her the only thing keeping her from a break was his good will. The dark expression on his face said there wasn't any of that to spare.

He ripped the owl mask from her face. "You know exactly who I am," he said. "You even knew my name. Found that out when you were spying, did you?"

She had known Superman for years. Even when he'd gone off half-cocked against Luthoriac, his eyes had never been this cold and ruthless. He was her friend. He'd spoken up for her when the rest of the Earth had rightfully despised her in the aftermath of the invasion. She'd never once assumed he held a grudge, and she'd never been afraid of him before this moment.

She could never take him in a fight, not unarmed. If he'd gone off the deep end, her only hope was to keep him talking and hope someone noticed he was missing from his post. "Yes. I researched all of you. That's how I knew where Bruce lived."

"Lived? Did you kill him here, too?"

The pieces clicked into place. This wasn't Superman. "How did you get back to our universe?"

"A sniveling creature from the Fifth Dimension owed me his life."

She had a quick vision of how that had gone down, Lord Superman looming over the annoying little trickster. "You told him you'd kill him if he didn't comply."

"Crude but effective." His grip tightened. "Did you know J'onn and I are practically immortal? It's not fun to live in space when you can't breathe, but that hyperspace bypass didn't go through the sun, and it gave me enough strength to keep going until we were picked up by a passing ship. Ironic that we both survived the deaths of our first homes, and our second."

"Where is J'onn?"

The darkness in his eyes was overshadowed by a brief sorrow. "He didn't want to outlive a third home."

"I'm sorry."

A feral smile crossed his face. "You will never be sorry enough. Our Shayera died during the invasion, and my only regret is that I wasn't the one who choked her to death. Would you like to know who got that pleasure?"

She didn't have to know. She'd imagined every possible scenario every night for months. "You can kill me if you want. It won't bring your Earth back."

"No, but it might mean I can finally sleep at night without hearing the screams of the dying." His eyes went red, and her stomach twisted. The Justice Lords gave their prisoners a terrible mercy. She wondered if enough of herself would be left to understand when he finished the job.

Shayera kicked out from the wall with all her strength, plowing into him and catching him off-guard. With her mace, she might have had a chance to fight him. Without, she could only take advantage of her brief freedom to dart into the sky, knowing he'd give chase. He was a faster flier, but she was desperate, and she darted between buildings and up, putting walls between them before she rose higher. 

The wind on her face whispered all the terrible things she knew must be true. She broke her oaths, and broke the laws written and unwritten. She would be punished.

"Shayera to all Justice League members," she said into her comm. "Superman is not who he appears to be. Repeat. There is a Superman imposter in Metropolis, and he's trying to kill me."

Behind her, he roared in anger, and she felt the sharp heat of his rays scorch her right wing. In pain, she pushed for more altitude, then dove before she could fall. He'd be on her in a moment.

He hit the ground behind her. Running would do no good. She turned and faced him.

"You destroyed everything!" he shouted.

"No," she said. "Your Shayera did. Things didn't go the same way here."

"You're the same traitor. It doesn't matter."

A red blur hit him with the force of a freight train. Before he could react, it happened again. On the third swipe, he found himself in green glowing handcuffs. The attack took less than five seconds.

Wally stopped in front of him. Then he turned to Shayera. "Hey, you okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks. Where did you get kryptonite handcuffs?"

"Batman."

"Of course." She touched her comm. "Flash took him down. Send a team with the real Superman. We'll have to contain this guy somehow."

Wally made a face. "Ugh. What do the Justice Lords want this time? Because I am not going to go live with them and teach them how to be better people."

"They're all dead." She nodded at Superman, who was groaning on the sidewalk. "He's the last survivor of their Earth. Thanagar finished the bypass in their universe."

He turned back to Superman. "Really. Huh. You know that makes me definitely the most important man in the world, right?"

She laughed, and hugged his arm. She wasn't dead. Her friends were alive. The warm night breeze brushed her face, and for a moment, she felt like a child again, happy to be here with a friend.

"Right."


End file.
